How to Unclog a Bathtub Drain without Using Chemicals?
Getting a warm bath in a tub of warm water and good soothing soaps is most relaxing especially after a long day at work and if you want to soothe the senses. It is always a good time to sit in the tub, let the water soothe the aches of the muscles and release the tension of the tired mind and spirit. Indulging the body to this kind of relaxation helps in re-energising it and cleaning up as well.
Therefore, it is best that the bathtub is always working as it should and properly to accommodate our bathing needs. It should be capable of filling up with warm water and drain dirty water after a bath. Bathing in clean warm and refreshing water is always a delight. To get clean warm water every time you bathe, the tub should have a fully functioning drain system as well to drain dirty water out and get the tub ready for another round of bathing the next day.
For most clogged drains, clogs are simply fished out if they are only made of sticky hair, which is a common drain clog problem in the bathroom. To unblock or unclog a bathtub drain easily and quickly, remove the drain stopper and fish out the gunk or hair strands that have accumulated and that is causing the problem. Most of the time, gunk and hair are the most common cause of clogged bathtub drains.
Unclog a bathtub drain that has a drop stopper type drain stopper. Drop stopper types of drains usually have a prominent knob that you have to lift and turn to open the drain.
In about 80 per cent of most clogged bathtub drains, a slow-draining or clogged tub drain can be fixed in five minutes without the need to use chemicals and without the need to pay hundreds of dollars for a plumbing job. To unclog a bathtub drain you will need simple tools that you can find at home like a screwdriver, a bent coat hanger or stiff wire. Most of the time, the clog problem is usually caused by sticky hair strands that have collected or accumulated on the crossbars found under the stopper. You need to figure out a way to remove the stopper and fish out the gunk that has collected and is blocking the drain. Create a hook with the stiff wire by bending the end with needle-nose pliers. Insert the wire into the clogged drain and extract the ugly mess or materials that have caused the clog. If hair is covering or wound around the crossbars, use a utility knife to slice through it and grab the gunk of hair with the hook.
Unclog a bathtub drain made of a push or lock drain stopper. Push the stopper down to release it and open the drain up. These drain stoppers seal and lock when they are pressed down. They release when pushed down for a second time. Removing them requires you to hold on to the stem as you unscrew the cap. Once the cap is off the drain opening, you can fish out the hair from the crossbars to unclog a bathtub drain. If you are having a difficult time fishing out the gunk, hold the shaft of the stopper tightly and unscrew. This will remove and unscrew the entire shaft. When you have to put everything back together, adjust the screw tension on the stem to get a good seal.
Unclog a bathtub drain made of levered stoppers. The stopper lever is part of the overflow plate of a bathtub. In older tubs stoppers are found inside the overflow tube or drain. They usually have a lever on the overflow plate and screen over the drain hole. The screen is designed to keep hair out of the drain but sometimes still gets through and eventually forms a blockage or clog at the crossbars. To unclog a bathtub drain, simply unscrew the screen to access the clog and remove it. For drains that have internal stoppers, the overflow plate has to be unscrewed and the link and stopper have to be pulled out. The linkage and stopper should be cleaned and then let the water run and flow down the drain to flush out the dirt.
Sometimes the linkage is not adjusted properly and the stopper does not open enough to allow good water flow. Therefore, adjust it and test if it is working properly after. Let water run into the tub. If water leaks out of it, extend the stopper linkage to give the drain a better seal. If the drain does not open to let water out of the drain, shorten the stopper linkage.
To properly remove a levered stopper, remove the screen and clean the crossbars. Unscrew the overflow place, pull out the linkage, clean both the linkage and stopper and then rinse the drainpipe. Adjust the linkage if needed and reinstall after.
The tools required to for unclog a bathtub drain include a 4-inch screwdriver, needle-nosed pliers and a utility knife. You also might need a heavy wire or a coat hanger to create a bent hook.
Unclogging the bathtub is not a very complicated task, but if you find the job something difficult to do on your own or if you have tried the solutions we have recommended and the tub still does not drain properly, it is best to call in the professional blocked drain plumbers to have a look at the problem and unclog a bathtub drain. There might be a bigger problem than what you can see. Let the pros have a look and fix the problem immediately to prevent a major plumbing issue.
If you need professional help on a unblocking a toilet or blocked drains, contact the blocked drain experts on 0412 738 874 or leave a message.
Helpful details for a Blocked Drain and Emergency Plumber situation:
Triple zero – 000
City of Melbourne – Floods and Storms
VicWater
Yarra Valley Water
Victoria State Emergency Service
